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WELLS RIVER BRIDGE, 
1803-1903 




m\\% River Briagc 



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Otber f)mm\\ Coll Bridges. 



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BY 
WILLIAM F^WHITCHER. 



NEWS PRINT, WOODSVlLLE, 

1804 






SEVENTY-FIVE COPIES PRINTED. 



No.... 



j 




Bridge in 1867. Locomotives " McDuffie " and " Peter Clark 




Bridge in 1869. Old Style Locomotive and Car. 



Zbc Mells IRiver Briboe. 



By act of the New Hampshire legislature of 1903, the 
Concord & Montreal railroad was authorized to acquire the 
stock of the Wells River Bridge, and to fix the rate of 
tolls. The shares of stock which had not already been ac- 
quired by that corporation soon came into its possession, so 
that except in name, and as a matter of form to preserve the 
franchises conveyed by the charter granted to the Bridge 
proprietors in 1803, the Wells River Bridge may be said 
said to have passed out of existence after a hundred years of 
interesting history. Some of the more important facts of 
this history have recently been published by Mr. F. P. 
Wells in a letter to the St. Johnsbury Caledonian. Mr. 
Wells says : 

"Er Chamberlin was, about 1770, the first settler in 
what is now the village of Wells River, and his first dwell- 
ing: was on the river bank where the stream, which bears 
the same name as the village, joins the Connecticut. On 
or near the site of his cabin was erected in 1704 a rude 
block house, the first structure built by white men in this 
part of the country of which we have any knowledge. A 
few years later he began to keep a ferry to what is now 
Woodsville, which was kept by himself and his sons until 
the building of the first bridge in 1805. This bridge, the 
first of five across the Connecticut at this place, was a few 
rods below the present one. It was an open structure, and 
was built partly upon wooden "horses," as the supports 
underneath were called. In the spring freshet of 1807 it 
was carried away, and a new one built in the same year. 



4 THE WELLS RIVER AND 

This second bridge stood but five years and was washed 
away in 1812. The proprietors of the bridge seem to have 
become discouraged by these successive disasters, and it 
was not till 1820 that a third bridge was constructed. This 
was also an open bridge, and was below the mouth of Wells 
river. It was carried away in the freshet of 1850, and a 
new one built, which stood till the present bridge was con- 
structed, when it was taken down. It was demolished as a 
consequence of the "railroad war," a great event in its time, 
but which is pretty much forgotten now. 

"When the old Boston, Concord and Montreal railroad 
was conceived, it was the intention of its projectors to follow 
up the Pemigewasset and Baker's river valleys, through the 
Oliverian notch, thence down the bank of that stream to its 
junction with the Connecticut, crossing the latter at South 
Newbury and proceeding up the valley of Hall's brook to 
South Ryegate, and thence to Montpelier. The Vermont 
portion of the road was to be built under a charter from the 
legislature authorizing the construction of a railroad from 
Montpelier to some point on the Connecticut river in the 
town of Newbury. But when the surveying party from 
Concord reached what is now Pike Station, in Haverhill, 
they came to a stai.dstill, for the descent of the Oliverian 
valley was so rapid and the fall of the stream north of 
Haverhill Corner so great^ as to make it impossible to de- 
scend to the level of the Connecticut there. 

"After much deliberation and examination of the country, 
the directors decided to strike to the north, to the mouth of 
the Ammonoosuc, and form a junction there with the White 
Mountain Railroad, which was being constructed to Little- 
ton, also crossing the Connecticut, making a junction with 
the Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad at Wells 
River. But this new move was strongly resisted by the 



OTHER HAVERHILL TOLL BRIDGES. 

latter corporation, which intended to erect a bridge there for 
its own use and form a junction with the White Mountain 
road, thus getting possession of the White Mountain travel 
then beo-innirff to be considerable. As a i)art of their pro- 
gram they laid out the spur track from the present passenger 
depot at Wells River to the site of the proposed bridge over 
the Connecticut, intending to prevent the B. C. & M. from 
o-ettinir into Vermont. But thev were not able to secure a 

OB " 

charter from the New Hampshire legislature, enabling them 
to build a bridge there, yet were able to prevent the New 
Hampshire road from securing a charter from the Vermont 
legislature, allowing it to build a short piece of track on the 
Vermont side to connect with the Passumpsic road. Thus 
the two parties were at a deadlock. 

"The late Hon. Charles B. Leslie of Wells River was 
then the attorney for the B. C. & M., people, and he advised 
the purchase of land along the river there, on the Vermont 
side, and the erection of an abutment upon fhat land. 
When this was done the Passumpsic people took another 
course, and endeavored by means of an injunction to pre- 
vent the building of an abutment on the Vermont side. 
Failing in this they tried to confiscate the land to the state 
on the ground that the B. C. & M. R. R., being a foreign 
corporation could not hold land in this state. But the 
courts decided that it could. 

"By Mr. Leslie's advice the New Hampshire road made 
a trade with the Wells River toll bridge corporation, whose 
charter gave them the exclusive right to build a bridge 
within certain limits, to erect a new structure, which should 
take public travel through the bridge, while the railroad 
track was laid along the roof. When the "dump" at the 
west end of the bridge was constructed there came near be- 
ing a riot. The Passumpsic people were determined to 



THE WELLS EIVER AND D 

prevent the other road from extending its track to their line, 
and while the B. C. & M., people employed a small army of 
men in filling in the dump the other road had as large a force 
engaged in wheeling the dirt away. This state of things 
went on for nearly a week. Many of the men on both sides 
were Irishmen, and in fighting mood, and the affair drew 
rough characters from all the country around. The people 
at Wells River were thoroughly frightened and expected 
nothing less than bloodshed and murder, not without reason. 

"A few years before, when the cut at Ingalls Hill, two 
miles below Wells River was made, a riot broke out be- 
tween two gangs of Irishmen which culminated in the mur- 
der of Michael Kelley, one of the foremen. Justly dreading 
a repetition of those scenes there was great alarm at Wells 
River, and it was determined to put an end to the tumult 
by the power of the law. But before a step could be taken 
in the direction of law and order it was discovered that no 
man within ten miles had authority to read the riot act. 

"The commissions of justices of the peace expired by law 
on the first of December in each year, and it chanced that 
none of those who had been elected to that office in the 
town of Newbury had taken out commissions, so there was, 
legally, no justice of the peace in that town. The first con- 
stable, whose term of office did not expire till the first of 
the following April, was the only man in town who could 
order the dispersion of an unlawful assembly. 

That official, in the first week in December, 1852, was 
Andrew Renfrew, an upright and fearless man, who lived 
in the southwest part of Newbury, eleven miles, at least, 
from the scene of disorder, and to him a messenger was sent 
who called him out of bed at midnight to go to the relief of 
the distressed people of Wells River. Arriving there he 
found a throng of angry men many of whom were fighting 



OTHER HAVERHILL TOLL BRIDGES. < 

drunk, and whiskey was very much in evidence. One of the 
parties had captured Elijah CJough, now au old man on the 
Bradford town farm, who was one of the ringleaders of the 
other party, and his friends were trying to rescue him. 
Clubs and Other weapons were treely used ; the mob was 
every moment becoming more excited and angry and Mr. 
Renfrew lost no time in proclaining the majest}^ of the law. 
A few arrests were made and the mob gradually dispersed. 
The dump was completed and in due time the track was 
laid and the old toll bridge taken down. 

"The timber for Woodsville bridge was sawed in a mill 
that stood where Brown's lumber mills are now in White- 
field and floated down the river. It is of a type known as 
the "Burr truss," and there is a picture of this bridge in 
Scribner's Magazine for June, 1888. 

"When it was built, and for many years after, engines 
and cars were constructed much lighter than they are now — 
a locomotive weighing thirty tons was considered a monster 
— and railway traffic over it was correspondingly light, but 
of later years the increasing weight of railway stock has 
compelled the repeated strengthening of the structure till 
the roadway has become narrow, dark and dangerous." 



NOTES. 

The first movement in the direction of securing a bridge across the 
Connecticut between the towns of Haverhill, and Newbury, Vt., 
resulted in the granting by the New Hampshire legislature, Jan. 4, 
1795, of a charter, to Col. Asa Porter of Haverhill, and others, under 
the title of "Proprietors of Haverhill Bridge." This provided for 
the erection of a toll bridge near the boundary line between Haver- 
hill and Bath, a little to the north of the present bridge. This bridge 
was to have a middle pier which was to be built on the small island 
north of the present bridge, and this island was ceded by the legisla- 
ture to the proprietors of the bridge. Although four years, subse- 
quently extended to seven, wei"e allowed for the completion of the 
bridge, no bridge was erected and the charter expired in January 



8 THE WELLS RIVER AND 

1802. For the thii-ty years or more previous to the granting of this 
charter, public travel between Haverhill and Newbury had been by 
ferry, the first chartered by the legislature of New Hampshire being 
in 1772 to Richard Charaberlin. Subsequently charters for ferries in 
other localities were granted to Col. Asa Porter and Er (-hamberlin, 
the latter at Wells River. 



The original charter of the Wells River Bridge, granted to Er 
Chamberlain, Ezekiel Ladd, James Whitelaw, Moses Little, Amos 
Kimball, William Abbott and their associates, passed the New Hamp- 
shire House of Representatives Dec. 16, 1803, the Senate Dec. 23, and 
was approved by Governor John Taylor Oilman, Dec. 27, 1803. The 
rates of toll established by this charter, indicate very clearly the 
modes of transportation, and the vehicles in use in this section a cen- 
tury ago. They were, "for each foot passenger one cent; for each 
horse and his rider or leader four cents ; for each chaise or other car- 
riage of pleasure with two wheels and one horse, ten cents ; for each 
carriage of pleasure or with passengers with four wheels, twenty 
cents ; for the like carriage with four horses, twenty-five cents ; for 
each sleigh with one horse, four cents; for each sleigh with two 
horses, eight cents and two cents for each additional horse; for each 
cart or wagon or sled or other carriage of burden drawn by one 
beast four cents ; for the like carriage drawn by two beasts, eight 
cents; if by more than two, four cents for each additional pair of 
horses or yoke of oxen ; for sheep and swine, one quarter of one 
cent each; for cattle and horses, three quarters of one cent each, 
and to each team one person only shall be allowed to pass free of 
toll." 



The proprietors met for organization, March 8, 1804. Sept. 4, the 
same year they voted to subdivide the six original shares into forty- 
eight shares, giving to each original proprietor, eight shares. Sev- 
eral meeting" were held during the year, and Nov. 12, it was voted 
to raise one thousand dollars for the purpose of constructing a 
bridge, and that this amount be assessed upon the forty-eight shares. 
The cost of the first bridge, erected in 1805, was probably about one 
thousand dollars, since shortly after the completion of the bridge, 
twenty-one shares were sold at auction for the sum of $21.14 each, 
the holdings of Eziekiel Ladd and James Whitelaw, being purchased 
by Amos Kimball, and five of the shares of William Abbott being 
purchased by Nathaniel McKinstry. 



OTHER HAVERHILL TOLL BRIDGES. » 

After the loss of the first bridge by freshet in the spring of 1807, 
steps were taken at once to rebuild, and at a meeting held July 7, a 
tax of $12.50 was levied on each share for the purpose of rebuilding. 
This amount appears to have been insufficient, since at a meeting 
held Jan. 28, 1809, it was voted "to assess a tax of twenty-four dol- 
lars a share, (.n the several shares, including the $12.50 voted in 
July, 1807, to be paid by the 20th of February next." The cost of 
this second bridge appears to have been upwarcs of one thousand 
dollars, since at the meeting March 4, 1809, accounts to the amount 
of $1139 were allowed. The account of Amos Kimball amounted to 
$838.50, indicating that he must have furnished most of the material 
and built the bridge. Mr. Kimball was the grandfather of 
the late Ezra S. Kimball, and at one time owned a large farm, 
comprising what was afterwards known as the Evans, the 
King, the Ezra Kimball, and the Porter Kimball farms. When the 
second bridge was completed, he believed it to be freshet proof, and 
for a comparatively small sum, offered to insure the bridge against 
freshets for a term of years. The proprietors accepted his offer and 
the subsequent loss of the bridge was a personal one to him and 
caused him serious financial embarrassment. 



This second bridge was repaired and strengthened in 1811, but 
was destroyed by a freshet in 1812. No action was taken towards 
building a new bridge till the spring of 1819. Acts were passed at 
the June sessions of the legislature in 1813, 1815, and 1817 extending 
the charter. April 20, 1819, Timothy Shedd, Charles Hale and David 
Worthen, were elected directors, and May 15, it was voted to re- 
build the bridge, and an assessment of ten dollars a share wa* levied 
to be paid before June 1. A second assessment of fifteen dollars a 
share was levied Sept. 27, to be paid before the 1st of November. 

On the 2d of November it was voted to build a toll house and 
move and repair the barn belonging to the Corporation ; to contract 
for filling the trestle work of the bridge with stone ; to authorize the 
directors" "to let out the bridge by the job at their discretion ; to 
procure all materials for finishing the bridge at their discretion ; to 
purchase land for said corporation, and to dispose of the old toll 
house." At an adjourned meeting Dec. 28, it was voted to make a 
third assessment of twenty dollars a share, to be paid by February 
1, 1820. At another adjourned meeting April 4, 1820, it was voted 
that Abraham Gale be employed to work as ovenseer in building the 
bridge and that he be allowed seven shillings six pence per day. 



10 THE WELLS RIVER AND 

This vote would indicate that the bridge was not built bv contract, 
but under the supervision of tVie. directors, who were David Worthen, 
Charles Hale and Timothy Shedd. The original members of the 
corporation seem to have dropped out of the management. The 
bridge was not completed until the summer of 1820, since a meeting 
of the stockholders was called for August 7, for the purpose of 
raising money to complete the bridge. At this meeting an assess- 
ment of $20, a share was made, the entire four assessments amount- 
ing to $65 a share, or a total of .$3120, which may be set down as ap- 
proximately the cost of the bridge. This new bridge was constructed 
a little distance south of the two former bridges, which had been 
built on horses, or wooden piers which spanned the river just 
above the mouth of Wells River near where Er Chamberlin had 
maintained his ferry, previous to the buildii:g of the bridges, and 
where the ferry was re-established after the wash out of 1812. The 
toll house then erected, still stands in the meadow now owned by 
Ezra B. Mann, and has for the past fifty years been known as the 
Sawtell house. This bridge, unlike its two predcessors, was con- 
strue ed with a roof. The system of annual passes or tickets, seems 
to have been inaugurated with the opening of this new bridge, since, 
Sept. 12, 1820, the directors were "authorized to agree with people to 
cross the bridge by the year." 



In 1832 the question of repairing the bridge began to be agitated, 
and an article was placed in the warrant for the annual meeting in 
September, "to see whether the proprietors will vote to raise money 
to repair the bridge, and by what method." This article was how- 
ever, dismissed. The article appeared again in 1833, but at the meet- 
ing Sept. 4, it was voted "that the directors be authorized to procure 
a sufficient quantity of stone to build two abutments, one on each 
end of the bridge, the present season," indicating that the abut- 
ments had previously been of wood. Another meeting was called 
for Oct. 26, 1833, to consider the question of repairs or rebuilding, 
when it was voted to rebuild the nest season, 16 shares voting in the 
affirmative and 10 in the negative. This vote was, however, re- 
scinded at an adjourned meeting held Dec. 3. The matter remained 
in abeyance till the annual meeting of 1835, held Sept. 3, when it 
was voted to rebuild the bridge the ensuing year, and at an ad- 
journed meeting held Oct. 20, it was voted that the old bridge be 
taken for a model, subject to such alterations as the directors might 
order, and that the directors be the agents to make contracts, pro- 
cure materials and superintend the building of the bridge. The 



OTHER HAVERHILL TOLL BRIDGES. 11 

bridge was rebuilt, in 1S36, iu accordance with this vote, for the most 
part from money in the treasury. It was built with stone abutments 
and two stone piers, and with a roof.. That more money was needed 
than was in the hands of the treasurer, appears from the following 
vote passed at the annual meeting Sept. 4. 1837. "■Voted that the 
directors be authorized to hire tive hundred dollars if they can pro- 
cure the same at sis per cent., if not, to make an assessment upon the 
shares so as to raise said amount to defray the bills and expenses of 
rebuilding the bridge, and refund the same so soon as collected by 
tolls or otherwise." As there is no record of any assessment, it may 
be concluded that the loan authorized was made. This bridge as 
rebuilt stood, only minor repairs being made, till the main span was 
carried away by a freshet in the spring of 1850. 

At a special meeting held May 22, 1850, the entire 48 shares being 
represented, it was, "Voted, that we rebuild the bridge over the 
Connecticut river at the place where the old one stood, the present 
season, as soon as may be, on the place of the old bridge," also, 
''voted that we raise forty dollars on each share in said bridge to be 
paid as follows: fifteen dollars on a share to be paid on the 10th 
day of June next, — fifteen dollars per share to be paid on the 10th 
day of July next, and teu dollars per share to be paid the 10th day 
of August next. The work must have been speedily accomplished, 
as, on the 19th of September at a meeting adjourned from the aniiual 
meeting of September 10, it was voted to allow the account of 
Charles Hale "agent to repair toll house and rebuild bridge." The 
proprietors present at this meeting were Timothy Shedd, A. B. W. 
Teuney, Charles Hale. Samuel Hutchins. Edward Hale, John C. 
Morse, William E. Shedd, Cyrus J. S. Scott and Oscar C. Hale. 
Other proprietors at this time who were not present either in person 
or by proxy were Abigail Little, Abiathar G. Brittou and Mary P. 
Hancock. The large majority of the shares were owned at this 
time in Vermont. 

While this bridge rebuilt in the summer of 1850 paid excellent div- 
idends to the share holders, being no less than f26 per share for the 
first year, it must have been unsatisfactory, since the subject 
of a new free bridge was being agitated in 1851. In November 
of that year a special meeting was called "to hear and act upon a 
proposition to purchase the right to erect a free bridge within the 
chartered limits of the corporation," and "to sell or agree upon the 
terms of sale of all or any part of the rights and franchise of the 
corporation." At this meeting November 20, 1851, "chose Cols. O. C. 
Hale and A. B. W. Tenney, a committee to negotiate with individ- 



12 THE WELLS RIVER AND 

nals or corporations iu relation to the sale of the Wells River Bridge 
and the corporate rights of the proprietors." The outcome of these 
negotiations was the contract with the Boston, Concord & Montreal 
Eailroad, bj' which a new bridge was constrncted by the railroad 
corporation for the Wells Eiver bridge proprietors, the new bridge to 
be used both for highwaj^ and railroad purposes. In the warning 
for the annual meeting held September 14, 1852, were the three fol- 
lowing articles : "1st, to see if the proprietors will build a new 
bridge in another place, and in what way they will pay for the same. 
2d, to see if the proprietors will issue new stock in addition to the 
present number of shares to pay for a new bridge, or for building 
the same, or lor the right of crossing another bridge. 3d, to do, or 
transact anj- other business in relation to a new bridge, or a change 
of location, or in carrying out the object of the foregoing articles." 
The situation was this: The Boston, Concord and Montreal rail- 
road was completing its tracks to Woodsvilie, and wished to cross 
the Connecticut river to form a junction with the Passumpsic rail- 
road. The latter corporation did not wish this junction, and was do- 
ing all in its power to prevent it. The bridge company owned 
certain franchises which would be of service to the Boston, Concord 
& Montreal in accomplishing its purpose of crossing the river. The 
existing toll bridge was of an unsatisfactory character, having to be 
weighted with stone to resist the pressure of high water. A new 
bridge was needed. A free bridge was desirable, but there seemed, 
as there also seemed fifty years later, to be no way of securing it. 
A contract was therefore signed September 1, 1852, by A. B. W. 
Tennej' and Oscar C. Hale as a committee of the Wells River Bridge 
and Ira Goodall and Charles Lane as a committee on the part of 
the Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad which solved the prob- 
lem. It gave the bridge proprietors a new bridge without any ex- 
penditure on their part, and gave the railroad what it most earnestly 
desired, a right of way into Vermont, enabling it to form a Junction 
with the Passumpsic at Wells River. The credit of devising this 
plan, belongs to the late Charles B. Leslie of Wells River, who was 
for many years one of the attorneys of the Boston, Concord & Mon- 
treal railroad. The railroad on its part agreed "to construct for the 
proprietors of the Wells River Bridge, a bridge across Connecticut river 
opposite Wells River village with all necessary highways and ap- 
proaches to the same for the accommodation of public travel, and be 
for the sole use and occupancy of said proprietors of Wells River 
bridge for the purposes of a toll bridge; the said bridge is 
to be so constructed that if the said railroad shall hereafter wish 
to run their cars and engines over the same, they may do so by 



OTHER HAVERHILL TOLL BRIDGES. 13 

coustructicg a track for that purpose, on the top or upper chords of 
said bridge, while the lower chords and approaches to the bridge are 
to remain unincumbered by such construction and running of the cars. 
And the said Boston, Concord & Montreal railroad does herebj- convey 
to said proprietors of Wells River Bridge the sole use and occupancy 
and control of the track or roadway over chords of said bridge to- 
gether with the highways and approaches to the same also the use of 
land near the easterly end of said bridge convenient and necessary 
for a toll house and garden spot for the same * * * * *^ au^ 
said Boston, Concord & Montreal railroad further agrees to maintain 
and keep in repair the said bridge free of charge forever, except the 
flooring of the bridgeway which is to be kept by said proprietors of 
Wells River Bridge. And the proprietors of Wells River Bridge 
agree to accept the said bridge when constructed, together with its 
highways and approaches, and use the same on their toll bridge, 
and in pajanent therefor to issue to the Boston, Concord & Montreal 
or to some person as trustee, for their use, fifteen shares of capital 
stock of their corpoi'ation to be on a par per share with the present 
existing forty-eight shares of said corporation." This agreement 
was ratified by the proprietors of the VV^ells River Bridge at their 
meeting Sept. 14, 1852, aud it was further voted to issue the fifteen 
shares to the railroad when the bridge should be open and ready for 
use. The directors were also authorized to build a new toll house 
and also to sell the old toll house, land, bridge and materials in the 
exercise of their discretion, and pay over the avails to the Treasurer. 
The toll house was sold to Julia Ann Sawtell, and the old bridge to 
the railroad company in April 1853 for the sum of #175. 



The work of constructing the new bridge was pushed as rapidly 
as pos ible, but haste did not preclude the use of the best of material 
as is evidenced from the fact that the bridge stood the test of con- 
stant and arduous service for upwards of fifty j-ears, and when taken 
down the present month, December, 1903, the frame was still sound 
showing no signs of decay except on the ends of the arches. It was 
what is known as "the Burr truss" -bridge and at the time of its 
construction, was the only one of the kind and was also the longest 
single span in the United States. The frame of the bridge was of 
selected old growth white pine, cut in the town of Whitefield, and 
sawed in a mill situated on the site so long occupied by the mills of 
the Brown Lumber Co. There is a tradition, which is accepted by 
Mr. Wells, that the lumber for the bridge was floated down the 
river in Whitefield to the Connecticut, and thence down the Connect- 



14 THE WELLS RIVER AND 

icut to near the old bridge, where it was takea out and hauled to the 
plain west of the present passenger station, where it was framed 
and speedily placed in position. Mr. Warren J. Fisher of North 
Haverhill, who was foreman of the gang who built the stone abut- 
ments, says, however, that the lumber was all hauled from White- 
field by six horse teams. So rapid was the progress of the work 
of construction that tolls wei-e collected at the new bridge as 
early as December 4, 1852, less than three months after the contract 
for its construction was made, though the work of construction was 
not completed. On the 2d of March 1853, the accounts of the old 
bridt^e were closed, and the 15 shares of new stock being issued to 
the Boston, Concord & Montreal railroad, the accounts of the new 
brido"e were opened. The final dividend paid to the old share hold- 
ers was $2.80 a share. The total amount of dividends paid after the 
assessment of $40 a share was made in May, 1850, for the purpose of 
rebuilding the bridge, until the old bridge was a' andoued and the 
new bridge opened to travel March 2, 1853, was $60.80 a share. The 
$40 assessment had not been unprofitable. Indeed the bridge had been 
a good dividend payer from the start, and continued to be a profit- 
able investment for its owners for a number of years after the 
brido"e of 1852-3 was built. Substantial divdends were paid until 
after the railroad had obtained a controlling interest in the stock, 
when through carelessness in collecting tolls and the issuance of 
passes at nominal rates, there was a shrinkage in income, while 
through growth of population on both sides the river, and the in- 
crease in business, the bridge was being used more and more each 
year. In the year 1853-54 the income from tolls was $415.00, from 
annual passess $222.37, a total of $637.37; 186.3-64, tolls $373, passes 
184.75, total $557.75; 1873-74, tolls $262, passes $241.75, total 503.75; 
1883.84, tolls $163.87, passes $271.25, total $435.12; 1893-94, tolls 
$132.22, passes 388, total $520.22. It is easy to see that the receipts 
in later years have been out of all proportion to the use of the 
bridge, and that it has lacked but little of being a free h ridge. 

The contract for building the bridge was taken byAVarren H. 
Smith, who was also the contractor for constructing the railroad 
from Warren to Woodsville, and the construction was under the 
supervision of Cyrus Latham, resident engineer of the railroad, and 
of his father, Deacon Latham, who was on the ground during the 
entire time of construction. Martin Powers of Bath was the boss 
carpenter, and Warren J. Fisher had charge of the stone work. The 
workmen boarded in Wells River, as there were but two or three 
houses in what is now Woodsville. 



OTHER HAVERHILL TOLL BRIDGES. 15 

The. cost of the bridge and of the approaches including several rods 
of liighwaj' on the Vermont side, built to connect with what was the 
old feiry highway near the present railroad bridge across Wells 
River was about $20,000. This was paid by the railroad according to 
the contract. The cost of the tqll house, which was met by the 
bridge proprietors, was a little upwards of $1000. 



There were as Mr. Wells has said, some exciting incidents iu the 
latter part of November and the first part of December, 1S52, when 
the efiort was made to prevent the Boston, Concord & Monacal from 
building a track to connect with the Passumpsic. In an old diary 
kept by the resident engineer, are these entries : "Tuesday Nov. 30, 
1852. This afternoon about 75 men from the Passumpsic road book 
possession of our work on the west side of the bridge, but about 1 
o'clock at night, our men having collected, drove them all ofj, leav- 
ing very much frightened." "Wednesday Dec. 1, 1852. At night 
some 200 or 300 of our men collected expecting the enemy at Wells 
River bridge, but they did not show themselves." 



The bridge was strengthened and thoroughly repaired iu 1868, and 
was again strengthened by new arches in 1876, these latter, however, 
making the roadway of the toll bridge too narrow for safety. The 
need of a new bridge has been felt for some years and it is greatly to 
be regretted th:it with the destruction of the old bridge, a highway 
bridge has not been erected separate from the railroad bridge, either 
free at the outset, or with a prospect that it might be made a free 
bridge in the immediate future. The railroad corporation as the 
owner of the shares of the Wells River bridge made liberal offers 
looking to this end, but they were not accepted, and attempts made 
to secure state aid in building a free bridge at the session of the leg- 
islature of 1901 also failed. The new bridge now being erected will 
doubtless remain a toll bridge until by joint action of the states of 
New Hampshire and Vermont all the bridges on Connecticut river 
are made free." 



The committee to build the first bridge chosen at a meeting held 
Oct. 15, 1804. were Capt. Amos Kimball, Moses Little and Er Cham- 
berlin. John Kimball was clerk of the corporation until 1821. 
John Kimball was a son of Capt. Amos, father of the late Dudley 
P. Kimball, and grandfather of the late J. Porter Kimball. Capt. 
Amos Kimball had the charge of building the two first bridges, 
and the management of these was largely in the hands 



16 THE WELLS RIVER AND 

of the Kimball family until the building of the bridge of 1820, 
when the majority of the proprietors seem to have changed from 
New Hampshire to Vermont. The names of the directors indicate 
very clearly the ownership of the bridge in its century of history: 

1805, Amos Kimball, Er Chamberliu, Dr. Nathaniel McKinstry; 

1806, same board; 1807, same board; 1808, Amos Kimball, Jacob 
Bailey, Er Chamberlin, Moses Campbell, Jr., Joshua Hale; 1809, 
Amos Kimball, Er Chamberlin, Jacob Bailey; 1810, Er Chamberlin, 
John Kimball, Jacob Bailey; 1811, Amos Kimball, Jacob Bailey, 
Moses Gage. There is no record of a meeting again till 1819 when 
the directors chosen were, Timothy Shedd, David Worthen, Charles 
Hale; 1821, John C. Morse, clerk; directors, Timothy Shedd, George 
Little, Ira White ; 1822, same; 1823, Timothy Shedd, Thomas Han- 
cock, Ira White; 1824, Timothy Shedd, Ira White, John C. Morse. 
In 1825 Thomas Hancock was chosen clerk, and he held this office 
until his death in August 1858, when W. R. Shedd was appointed in 
his place. The directors were: 1826, Samuel Hutchins, Jr., John C. 
Mor^e, Ira White; 1827, Ira White, Samuel Hutchins, Jr., A. B. W. 
Tenney; 1828, Ira White, Ezra Gates, Cliarles Hale; 1829, the same; 
1830, the same; 1831, Charles Hale, John Kimball, Ezra Gates; 
1832, the same; 1833, Charles Hale, John Kimball, Timothy Shedd; 
1834, Timothy Shedd, Charles Hale, A. B. W. Tenney; 1835, Timothy 
Shedd, Charles Hale, John C. Morse; 1836, Timothy Shedd, Charles 
Hale, A. B. W. Tenney; 1837, Timothy Shedd, Charles Hale, John 
C. Morse; 1838, Timothy Shedd, Charles Hale, A. B. W. Tenney; 
1839, Timothy Shedd, Charles Hale, Ira White; 1840, the same; 1841, 
Timothy Shedd, Charles Hale, John C. Morse; 1842, the same; 1843, 
Timothy Shedd, Charles Hale, A. B. W. Teaney; 1844, Timothy 
Shedd, Charles Hale, John C. Morse; 1845, Timothy Shedd, A. B. W. 
Tenney; 1846, Timothy Shedd, John C. Morse, Charles Hale; 1847, 
the same; 1848, the same; 1849, the same; 1850, John C. Morse, W. 
E. Shedd, A. B. W. Tenney; 1851, Charles Hale, W. R. Shedd, John 
C. Morse; 1852, Charles Hale, A. B. W. Tenney, W. R. Shedd. At 
the annual meeting of 1853, 35 shares were represented, the 15 be- 
longing to the railroad being represented by proxy, but in the choice 
of directors and treasurer, the same policy was pursued as before the 
issue of the new shares. The majority of the stock was owned by 
Wells River citizens, and the management of the bridge remained in 
their hands until the annual meeting of 1868. The names appearing 
on the director roll in these years were Charles Hale, A. B. W. Ten- 
ney, W. R. Shedd, Edward Hale, John N. Morse who was elected in 
1865, and William B. Abbott who was elected in 1864. 



OTHER HAVERHILL TOLL BRIDGES. 17 

O. C. Hale was treasurer in 1S50, and continued in office until 1857 
when he was succeeded by W. R. Shedd who was, in turn, succeeded 
in 1865 by W. B. Abbott. All these officials were citizens of Wells 
River except John N. Morse of Haverhill. The railroad's holdings of 
shares were unrepresented during these years, except at the meetings 
of 1853 and '54. At the meeting of 1868, 34 shares were represented, 
of which 15 belonged to the railroad, 7 to Charles Lane, clerk of the 
railroad corporation, and 6 to Charles M. Weeks of Woodsville. 
Henry W. Ramsey station agent at Woodsville was chosen clerk, 
Charles M. Weeks treasurer, and Charles Lane, Charles M. Weeks 
and John N. Morse directors. From this time on. Wells River had 
no share in the management of the bridge, which, as the railroad ac- 
quired the shares, soon came under railroad control. Mr. Weeks re- 
mained in the directorate until the annual meeting of 1877, when his 
place was taken by .Joseph A. Dodge of Plymouth, superintendent 
of the railroad. Mr. Morse remained a director until the annual 
meeting of 1891, when his place was filled by the election of Edward 
F. Mann. Other members of the directorate until 1896, since which 
time all officers have been officials or employees of the railroad, were 
John E. Lyon, J. Thomas Vose, W. A. Stowell, Charles 6. Mellen, 
S. S. Kimball, John F. Webster, Philip J. Baird. C. M. Weeks 
served as treasurer 1868-77, H. W. Ramsey 1877-79, Ezra B. Mann 
1879-1889, F, W. Baird 1889-95, J. C. Gallagher 1895-1903. Members 
of the directorate since 1896 have been : Geo. E. Cummings, F. W. 
Baird and John F. Webster. 



In 1902 all the shares of stock had been acquired by the Concord 
& Montreal railroad and the legislature of 1903 legalized this acqui- 
sition by empowering the railroad to hold these shares and fix the 
rate of tolls. The changes which have taken place in the control of 
the bridge have been such as were inevitable from its connection 
with the growth and development of Woodsville, while Wells River 
has remained at a comparative standstill. 



By the kind permission of Mr. Frederick P. Wells of Newbury, Vt., 
whose invaluable history of the town of Newbury was published 
some two years since, the following account of the other toll bridges 
between Haverhill and Newbury is taken from his most interesting 
chapter on '-Connecticut River:" 

"The journal of the New Hampshire House of Representatives for 



18 THE WELLS RIVER AND 

the session of 1794, stntes that amon^ the business brought before 
the house on December 30, was the following: "Whereas, Benjamin 
Chamberlin of Newbury, Vermont, proposes building a Bridge over 
Connecticut river, at, or near the place where he and his father have 
kept a ferry ever since the settlement of the town, which is the best 
and oldest road for passing between the states to the north and Can- 
ada, prays to be allowed to build and tend such bridge for toll." 
The principal subscribers to the enterprise, on the Haverhill side, 
were: Moses Dow, $400; Ezekiel Ladd and John Montgomery, 
each $100; and on the Newbury side: Thomas Johnson, $300; 
Benjamin and Nathaniel Chamberlin, and Josiah Little, each $100. 
The Haverhill subscriptions amounted to $1000, and it was stated 
that as much had been promised from Newbury, but owing to the 
high water and floating ice prevailing at the time, the man with the 
Newbury subscription was unable to cross the river. On the 7th of 
January, 1795, the same day on which Colonel Porter presented his 
petition for a bridge at Wells Kiver, a petition similar to that offered 
by Chamberlin, was presented in behalf of Simeon Goodwin and 
Robert Johnston. 

"Ebenezer Brewster of Hanover, Peter Carleton of Landaff", and 
Capt. John Mann of Orford, were appointed a committee to view the 
river from the lower end of Howard's island to the south line of 
Haverhill, and select a site for a bridge. This committee reported 
at the June session of 1795, in favor of locating the bridge about 
thirty rods below Chamberlin's ferry. The charter was granted 
June 18, 1795, to Benjamin Chamberlin, Ezekiel Ladd, Moses Dow, 
Tliomas Johnson, William Wallace, John Montgomery, and associ- 
ates as "Proprietors of Haverhill Bridge." Their charter rights 
extend "from the extreme point of the little Ox-bow, to the south- 
west corner of Ezekiel Ladd's farm, a little above the mouth of tne 
Oliverian." The rates of toll were nearly like those of the Wells 
Eiver bridge. A bridge was built there in 1796, and stood for some 
time. It was, probably, an open bridge. Among the Johnson pa- 
pers there is a copy, in his own handwriting of a letter from Colonel 
Johnson to General Chase, which casts some light upon the construc- 
tion of that bridge and its fate. 

Newbury, April 19, 1798. 

Sir: 

You have no doubt heard of our misfortune as to losing our Bridge, 
it was owing to two things: 1st the ambition of some of the propri- 
tors wanting to have the longest arch yet built; 2d the workman was 
not equal to so great a piece of business. One abutment stands good, 
also the little Bridges with very little repairing are good, our Plank 



OTHER HAVERHILL TOLL BRIDGES. 19 

with a considerable part of the timber on haud. The main thing we 
want is a worliraan that understands building a Peer in the middle of 
the river, we have no man in this part of the Country that ever 
helped build one, or knows anything about it. As you went through 
the business for us last year, I ask as a particular favor in behalf of 
the Proprietors, tliat you would recommend to us a suitable man to 
undertake lo build a Peer. * * Our stone are all within ten rods 
of the river bank, and our timber within 3-4 of a mile. Our Peer 
will want to be twenty-five feet high. In this case I wish you would 
make a brief guess what the cost would be to build such a peer. 

Yours, etc., 

Thos. Johnson." 



"That some kind of abridge was reconstructed it seems certain from 
the recorded action of the selectmen in 1798, who placed the south of 
highwaj' District No. 2, which "runs down on the river as far as the 
north abutment of the bridge across Connecticut river." This 
bridge is mentioned elsewhere. But it did not stand many years, 
evidently, as the records of the present bridge corporation, begin- 
ning January 1, 1805, state that on that day a meeting of the Haver- 
hill Bridge Company was held, at which Charles Johnston, Samuel 
Ladd, Joseph Pearson, John Montgomery, Jeremiah Harris and Asa 
Tenney were appointed a committee to make estimates for building a 
bridge similar to the '"Federal Bridge" over the Merrimack river at 
Concord, and to determine the best place to build said bridge. This 
committee reported, May 4, 1805, that the bridge be built "from 
land of Mr. Phiueas Aver in Haverhill, to that of Col. Robert John- 
ston in Newbury," i. e., where the present bridge is. Some time be- 
tween that date and 1809, a bridge was built. The records are 
meagre, and nothing is said about this bridge being carried off, but 
on April 3, 1822, Ephraim Kingsbury, the clerk, sold all the shares 
in the corporation to Asa Tenney and Josiah Little for one cent a 
share. It would seem there was nothing left of the bridge. 

"There is no further record till August 18, 1833, when Josiah Lit- 
tle petitioned for a meeting to be called on September 10, at which 
stock for a new bridge was subscribed. 

"In the Democratic Republican for September 19, 1833, Ephraim 
Kingsbury, clerk, advertises for proposals for building the present 
bridge, and for furnishing stone, and erecting the abutments and a 
pier, which was built in 1834. No record of the cost is preserved, 
but it is understood to have been about $9,200. It is believed to be 
the oldest bridge on Connecticut river, yet it is still called the "new 
bridge" by old people. The thoroughness of its construction is at- 
tested by its having withstood all the freshets of nearly seventy 



20 THE WELLS RIVER AND 

years, although the water has, several times, been three feet deep 
along its driveways, and great quantities of logs crowded against it 
from above. It has a double passage-way for teams and is believed 
to be the only bridge of that manner of construction on the river. 
Eepairs have been made upon it from time to time, and in 1895, 
about $2,000 was expended upon it. The structure was strengthened 
by means of arches, a feature not known, or not employed in this 
part of the country, at the time it was built. 

"On April 1, 1898, it was voted to call in all the old stock, and 
issue new, which consist, of ninety-two shares of one hundred dol- 
lars each. It is all owned by eleven persons. The present directors 
are: W. H. Atkinson, H. E. and R. VV. Chamberlain. Arthur K. 
Merrill is clerk and treasurer. 

"The charter for the bridge between South Newbury and Haver- 
hill was granted, June 16, 1802, to Moody Bedell and others, to be 
built within the limits of Bedell's ferry. The first meeting of the 
stockholders was held May 9, 1805, at the inn of Asa Boynton in 
Haverhill. There were one hundred shares of stock. Moody Bedell 
holding thirty-five. Twenty-three shares were held on the Vermont 
side, Capt. William Trotter of Bradford, holding fifteen. Moody 
Bedell conveyed for $900, his rights in the ferry, to the bridge com- 
pany. The first directors were William Trotter, Moody Bedell, Asa 
Boynton, and Gideon Tewksbury. On the 24th of June they con- 
tracted with Avery Sanders to build a bridge for $2,700. This was 
an open bridge, resting on wooden piers. General Moody Bedell, 
for whom that bridge and its successors were named, was a son of 
Col. Timothy Bedell, who visited Coos with Bayley, Hazeu, and 
Kent, in 1760, and was himself a revolutionary soldier, and a dis- 
tinguished oflicer in the war of 1812. He died in 1841. How long 
this bridge stood is not precisely known. President Dwight speaks 
of crossing it in 1812. In that year the shares held by General Be- 
dell were sold to Hon. Moses P. Payson of Bath. In 1821, Septem- 
ber 4, a meeting was held to see about i-ebuildiug the bridge, by 
which it seems that it had been wholly or partly carried away. It 
appears that much of the timber and plank were saved. On June 16, 
1824, the report of the committee which rebuilt the bridge was pre- 
sented, which showed that the cost had been $2,585.61 inclusive of 
what was paid the committee for their services. It would appear 
that this bridge stood till 1841, as on February 11th the directors 
were instructed to use every effort to secure the bridge. But, three 
days later, the stockholders voted "not to rebuild," by which vote it 
seems that the bridge had been carried away in the meantime. 



OTHER HAVERHILL TOLL BRIDGES. 21 

"There was no bridge from that time till 1851, when an open 
bridge, supported by wooden piers, and with heavj' timbers crossing 
the driveway overhead, was built. Col. Moody Chamberlain, J. R. 
Reding and Asa Low were the building committee. This was carried 
awaj^ by the high water of the spring of 18G2. In the fall of that 
year the middle pier of the bridge was constructed, and the next 
year a covered bridge was built. C. G. Smith, Johnson Chamberlain 
and Nathaniel Bailey were the building committee. This bridge was 
of very light construction, and in 1865, the directors were instructed 
to strengthen it bj' putting in arches. This structure was very nar- 
row, and was demolished by a gale, July 5, 1866. The present 
bridge was built in that year. 

"In 1812, a law was passed equalizing the tolls on the three 
bridges between Newbury and Haverhill, as follows: Each foot 
passenger, one cent; each person, except the driver, on any team, 
one cent; each one-horse team six and one-fourth cents; each chaise 
or other carriage, twelve and one-half cents; each team drawn by 
three horses, fifteen cents ; four-wheeled carriage drawn bj' two 
horses, twenty-five cents, and three cents for each additional horse. 

"In 1809, a charter was granted to Asa Tenney, Thomas, John, 
Moses and David Johnson, and William B. Bannister of Newbury, 
and eighteen others, resident elsewhere, for a bridge between Horse 
Meadow and the Ox-bow, at some place between one-half mile above 
and one-half mile below Colonel Porter's ferrj-. The proprietors 
were to build a road "from Colonel Porter's ferry house, to the main 
road in Haverhill." It is not known that any action was ever taken 
building about a bridge at that place." 



The need of a new Wells River Bridge has long been recognized and 
plans for the one now approaching completion were made by J. P. 
Snow of Boston, bridge engineer of the Boston & Maine, a year ago, 
and proposals were invited for the construction of a bridge. The 
contract for the stone masonry was awarded to Ellis & Buzzel of 
Woburn, Mass., and that for the construction to the American Bridge 
Co. of New York. 

The work upon the stone abutments was begun about the first of 
August, 1903, and was under the supervision of Patrick Brown as 
foreman. The old abutments were taken out, and the new made of 
large granite blocks laid in cement, on bed rock on the East side, and 
on the earth on the West. For these abutments some 4000 cubic 
yards of earth were excavated, some of which was used for back fill- 
ing, and 1600 yards of stone were used. The river abutments were 



22 THE WELLS RIVER AND 

cut down, so that the present bridge seat is about 8 feet lower than 
the old. Parapets about 14 feet high have been constructed of Port- 
land cement and crushed rock, and upon these the stringers for the 
roadway of the toll bridge rest. About 100 barrels of Portland 
cement and 100 tons crushed rock have been used in their consruc- 
tion. At each end of the main bridge, over the approaches to the 
toll bridge, are two short plate girder bridges, that at the east end 
being 48 feet in length and that on the west 52 feet. While these 
are constructed separate from the main bridge, they are riveted to it, 
so that the whole constitutes one bridge. 

The main bridge is what may be described as a half hitch Balti- 
more pin truss, and is 239 feet and 2 inches in length from centre to 
centre of pins. The truss is about 33 feet high and contains 460 
tons of thoroughly tested open hearth steel. The four large pins in 
the posts are 8 1-2 inches in diameter, and the other pins in the truss 
6 3-4 in their diameter. The posts are 2 1-2 feet square and 37 feet 
in length. Besides the pins there are driven 6660 field rivets, 
being driven at white heat, four gangs of riveters being employed, 
each gang driving about 125 rivets a day. All the steel used in the 
construction of the bridge is guaranteed to stand a strain of from 
54 000 to 62,000 lbs. to the square inch, and all the material is care- 
fully inspected before being used. 

The ties for the railroad track on the top of the bridge are covered 
with planking which constitutes the roof of the bridge. The road- 
way for the toll bridge is 15 feet between trusses, and the sidewalk 
on the south side of the bridge guarded by railing is five feet in 
width. The water in the river underneath the bridge is from 22 to 
40 feet in depth and the railroad track is 45 feet above the water. 

Work on the construction of the bridge was begun the last of 
October, and it is now thought that the bridge will be fully com- 
pleted by the first of February. This bridge will be in every respect 
a credit to the designer, Mr. Snow, and to the contractors. It will 
be one of the finest on the Boston and Maine system, indeed one of 
the finest|in New England. The construction of the bridge has been in 
charge of J. C. Grifllth of Little Valley, N. Y., and F. M. Stearns of 
Hartford, Conn. John W. Storrs of the engineering department of 
the Boston & Maine railroad, who has his headquarters at Concord 
has had supervision of the construction and has inspected the steel 
and riveting. Woodsville and Wells River, and the adjoining towns 
will heartily welcome the completion of a structure which will fur- 
nish a more commodious avenue of communication between them 
the coming century, than has been furnished by the six historic 



OTHER HAVERHILL TOLL BRIDGES. 23 

Structures which have spanned the river under the name of Wells 
River bridge during the past hundred years. 

The new bridge was opened to public travel the first week in Feb- 
ruary, 1904. 



